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In the five weeks since Election Day, Obama's once-cohesive Web presence has fragmented into a jumble of sometimes disparate-feeling fundraising pitches, YouTube videos and calls for activism spread across three websites.
AP Photo

Want a sleek Obama '08 coffee mug, a four-year calendar with pictures of Barack Obama on the campaign trail, or a blue T-shirt with "Change Can Happen" emblazoned under stylized photos of the incoming president and vice president?

You’ll have to hurry. But they all can be yours for the holidays, if you go to Obama's campaign website and donate $15, $35 or $30 to the Democratic National Committee.

So said a trio of e-mails sent since Obama's historic victory last month to the 13 million or so folks on his unprecedented campaign e-mail list, which has also been used to raise cash for Obama's non-profit presidential transition group and former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's insolvent presidential campaign.

But the flurry of fundraising e-mails has some subscribers pleading for a break from the solicitations and has raised questions about whether Obama has figured out how to harness the power of his online network once in the White House.

In the five weeks since Election Day, Obama's once-cohesive Web presence has fragmented into a jumble of sometimes disparate-feeling fundraising pitches, YouTube videos and calls for activism spread across three websites.

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E-mails to the list of supporters have generated contributions to help victims of the California wildfires, invited questions for the transition team, prompted 500,000 responses to a survey about what Obama backers would like to do next and helped gin up thousands of house parties across the country last weekend, at which Obama supporters deliberated on how to maintain the campaign's grass-roots energy once he’s inaugurated.

And, of course, there are the fashion and novelty sale items — including the Obama fleece scarf being hawked this week with a deadline duly noted to ensure delivery in time for Christmas.

"So far, there's been an aimless wander" quality to Obama's approach, said Kevin Thurman, who helped direct Web operations for the unsuccessful Democratic presidential campaigns of then-Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York senator whom Obama has tapped as his secretary of state.

"We've gone from a survey to selling holiday mugs that don't have a lot of holiday to four-year calendars — it looks like left-over inventory," Thurman added.

There are some tricky legal questions about what Obama can do with his e-mail list after he’s sworn in as president and those behind his Web juggernaut concede they're still formulating just how Obama will use the Internet from the White House. So far, though, they have remained tight-lipped about their plans.

They declined to comment for this story. But during a panel discussion this month, Obama's Internet director, Joe Rospars, predicted his boss's official online communications would become "more systematized once in government."

He explained "the challenge with the government stuff — and you're seeing this with the transition — is different than the challenge with the campaign obviously, and that's because the relationship is different.”

In the campaign, he said, “We had a relationship between Barack Obama and a whole lot of people who supported him and his policies and his ideas and his vision for the country. When he becomes president, he needs to be president of all the people."

The presidential transition team's website, change.gov, he said, focuses "more on transparency and accessibility and service and these kinds of things, rather than implementing a legislative agenda and sort of having a political organization."

He deflected questions about specific plans, particularly about what Obama's continued online political presence would look like, explaining the "political mobilization stuff is a little bit of another question."

There is some early evidence, perhaps predictably, of donor fatigue.

In the 18 days after the election, Obama's campaign reported receiving $1.2 million from 4,200 itemized contributions, while the DNC pulled in $1.7 million from 3,100 itemized donations — both trickles, compared with the flood-like velocity of campaign fundraising. Obama was raising a minimum of $1 million a day at the close of the campaign.

Readers' Comments (364)

The e-mails are getting a little ridiculous. The are essentially trying to turn the office of the Presidency into a cash machine. Enough. Do a good job and you get reelected. Bad job and goodbye. Enough said. These guys need to understand this is the White House, not Chicago.

I unsubscribed from the emails. I was happy to donate and vote for him but I don't need two or three emails a day now that the campaign is over. I was very disappointed by that. I'll sign back up when I am needed but I am not covering Hillary's bills or any other fund that needs money.

I dunno. This whole idea of politicians-- or anyone for that matter-- having my email address feels a little funky. What is the security on their servers? Palin's email was broken into, right? And the Pentagon's networks recently?

Think of the shananigans that could be wroght if someone got a hold of that email list. Especially in this era when government feels it has the right to read your emails without a warrant. Some lable William Ayers a terrorist and claim Obama "palled around" with him, right? Then, according to the logic of George W. Bush, his emails would be fair game-- and YOURS TOO !!

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The Borgen Project has informative statistics on addressing global poverty.

$30 billion ends world hunger

$550 billion is the US Defense budget

This organization has the ability, resources, and policy-makers to suppress the threat of global poverty by enacting legislation here in the US, which is tied to the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. Please support organizations such as The Borgen Project so that we may rid the world of poverty.

Go total Access Hollywood - feature something on Caroline Kennedy daily Provide grist for the Today Show mill. Feature things you know will get picked up by the MSM......Like tired donors!!!!! Move POP and POLITICS Section to the front page. Allow 3primecubed to have her own column - "Troll Talk" Have Ben Smith linked romatically with Elton John on NY Post Page Six Chuck it all and sell to Sam Zell for $13 Bil...uh....$13 Dollars

How can Obama "harness the power"? Stop sending emails, obviously. This Obama thing is not going to be easy to "control" at all. The comparisons to Kennedy, Lincoln etc, the focus on money and image and media, the constant presence of Obamas face and words before us, the continuing adulation and coyness on his part should finally alert the public that there's something wrong with this picture. For the liberal party to basically hand over their party to a virtual unknown is simply foolish.

The e-mails are getting a little ridiculous. The are essentially trying to turn the office of the Presidency into a cash machine. Enough. Do a good job and you get reelected. Bad job and goodbye. Enough said. These guys need to understand this is the White House, not Chicago.

I'd be surpised if they were still getting $25 a pop from poor schmo's like me. Is there a limit on the amount you can give...as there was during the election?

Between the holidays, economy in the toilet and fatigue ....................

Which also begs the question....why the hell are we talking about this?

He's always been a snake oil salesman. Give me money!!Give me money!!. He is the biggest rip off artist I've ever seen. The sad part is that the poor are so mesmorized by this "man" they will give their last dime to this crook.

Politico reaching for the straws,huh? I mean if he asks for supporters, you chide him saying he is begging his donors. If he goes to lobbyists- you say its special interest. Wow, Politico you honestly need to get a life